When a patient makes an appointment with his or her primary care physician, the tension level at that visit is usually lower than on visits to a specialist, a surgeon or a hospital facility. After all, primary care physicians are most often associated with preventative medicine and therefore these office visits often feel less threatening for patients.
When being a 'good' patient is a bad idea
In 2009, the New York Times bestseller list featured a book entitled "Curse of the Good Girl." The premise of this book holds that by insisting that young females conform to an idea of "goodness" characterized by politeness, selflessness and niceness, they tend to become disempowered and fail to reach their full potential. Whether or not this premise is true, a similar argument can be made with regard to patient behavior.
